November 24, 2010

KASICH NAMES BLAIR TO DAS, BUEHRER TO BWC

This past Friday Gov.-elect appointed Bob Blair, a former state government manager, to direct the Department of Administrative Services when he takes office next year and later Tuesday tapped State Senator (R-Delta) as the next Bureau of Workers Compensation Administrator.

Mr. Blair is the retired development director at EMH&T Engineering, and served 18 years with the Department of Job & Family Services and Ohio Department of Transportation. He was involved in human resources roles at both state agencies.

"It is imperative that we critically examine how the State of Ohio administers services and manages its workforce, and eliminate waste, redundancies and inefficiencies abundant throughout the system," Mr. Blair said in a statement. "Ohioans, state employees and businesses that work with the state all deserve agencies that operate professionally and responsively, and I look forward to bringing a business-like approach to the public sector."

The Pickerington resident is a trustee of the Fairfield County Board of Health and is on the board of the Pickerington Public Library.

Sen. Buehrer, an attorney, is a former Chief of Human Resources at BWC who has kept close tabs on the bureau's doings as chairman of the Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee. Mr. Kasich made the announcement at the Fulton County courthouse in Wauseon, where Mr. Buehrer serves as the city's law director.

Sen. Buehrer said a successful workers' compensation system is "crucial to restarting Ohio's job engine."

Sen. Buehrer won election this fall to his second term in the Senate after having served four two-year terms in the House. He started his government career as an intern for late Congressman and Legislative Aide for former Speaker Jo Ann Davidson. His administrative experience also includes service as Director of Legislative Affairs for the Ohio Bureau of Employment Services and Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Administrative

1 Services. The Bowling Green State University graduate earned a law degree from Capital University in 1997.

BUDGET COMMISSION TO ISSUE REPORT WITH LOW EXPECTATIONS

Neither Republicans nor Democrats have high hopes that a bipartisan panel can lead Ohio out of budget purgatory next year, but the Budget Planning & Management Commission is nonetheless plodding ahead with the process of drafting a report.

Commission Co-chair Rep. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), chairman of the House Finance & Appropriations Committee, said his office was working with co-chair Sen. Shannon Jones' (R- Springboro) staff to compile testimony the panel received. He said in an interview that members would "meet our statutory obligations to submit a report" to legislative leaders by the Nov. 30 deadline.

Sykes said the commission will likely meet one more time to review and accept the report, he said. The report won't attempt to outline a consensus solution to next year's multi-billion dollar budget shortfall, but will likely summarize recommendations from the more than 50 organizations and individuals including CCAO that submitted testimony, he said. It could include two categories to highlight some of the more viable suggestions.

Republicans created the commission in the last biennial budget (HB 1) to develop a strategy for balancing the next spending bill, but political considerations during a volatile election cycle have overshadowed the panel's work.

BATCHELDER CUTS 10 STANDING COMMITTEES; WILL HAVE 17 NEXT SESSION

The House will have 17 standing committees next session, 10 less than the chamber has in place this term. "It is important that we have committees that meet regularly and frequently in order to ensure that the public has every opportunity to participate in the legislative process," said Speaker-elect William Batchelder in announcing the names of the panels.

The Finance & Appropriations Committee will have five standing subcommittees, including those focusing on primary & secondary education; higher education; transportation; health and human services and agriculture and natural resources.

The standing committees are:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources • Commerce and Labor • Criminal Justice • Economic and Small Business Development • Education • Finance & Appropriations • Financial Institutions, Housing and Urban Development • Health and Aging • Insurance • Judiciary and Ethics • Local Government • Public Utilities • Rules and Reference

2 • State Government and Elections • Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security • Veteran's Affairs • Ways and Means

Mr. Batchelder dropped the current Alternative Energy; Consumer Affairs & Economic Protection; Faith-Based Initiatives and Environment & Brownfield Development panels and restructured a number of other committees.

Batchelder has thus far announced only a few appointments: Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) will chair Finance and Rep.-elect and Sen. John Carey (R-Wellston) will vice chair the panel. Rep. Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green) has been named to head the Finance committee's Higher Education Subcommittee.

The next speaker has asked members to submit their committee requests by the end of the month, and appointments are likely to be finalized on Jan. 4.

3